Ask the Experts | Arborscapes, LLC

Are trunk injections of any value?

As with any treatment, there are instances when trunk injections may be appropriate.
Injection holes are wounds and are acceptable only when the benefits derived outweigh the injury to the tree.
Serious injury can be done to the tree if injections are done improperly.
A healthy tree should not be injected un-necessarily.
Do not leave injection units in a tree.
Never inject a tree that has failed to close previous injection holes.

YES!
Practice PLANT HEALTH CARE by keeping plants healthy and by correcting factors that weaken plants, making them susceptible to pests.
Tolerate minor pest damage that does not cause serious injury.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) is a system used by knowledgeable persons to decide what practices should be employed to overcome a particular plant’s problems.
PLANT HEALTH CARE practices in conjunction with appropriately used pesticides can improve a plant’s condition.
PLANT HEALTH CARE and IPM practices include:
- Selecting the right plant for each situation, considering hardiness, soil type, moisture level, growing space, and maintenance.
- Using biological controls such as B.T. (Bacillus Thuringensis) for caterpillars, or low toxicity products, such as soap or oil for scale, mites, aphids, etc.
- Timing pruning operations, fertilization, pest management, mulching, and watering to the needs of the plant.

Treatments for pests should be applied only for properly identified pests, at specific times, with carefully selected pesticides, used according to label directions.
Minor pest problems usually do not threaten a tree’s health.
Sprays should not be used for general preventative control of pests.
Avoid spraying to be done only by applicators certified by the State.
Frequently, the reason a pest problem exists is that the plant is in poor health, and sprays will not correct the underlying problem.

Fertilization is done to replace essential nutrients which are depleted at various rates, depending on soil type, ground cover, and the amount of leaf litter or mulch there is.
Fertilizer is not “plant food”; the plant feeds itself with its own chlorophyll and certain nutrients in the presence of sunlight.
Only through soil testing and/or tissue testing is it possible to determine what fertilizer is needed.
It is possible to over-fertilize; do not over do it!
Natural organics and slow release fertilizers are safest and least likely to result in pollution.
Most trees do not need to be fertilized every year.

PEOPLE!
Did you know that improper tree care practices can reduce vigor and kill your trees, or reduce their aesthetic appeal and lower your property value?
Poor work on trees may:
* expose them to insect and disease invasion;
*create unnecessary wounds that result in accelerated decay;
* reduce structural integrity, making them unsafe

Yes, but a tree owner should realize that any soil disturbance, whether from a roto-tiller or a bull dozer, will injure tree roots.
Tree survival after construction depends on planning ahead.
A competent arborist should be consulted before the project begins to maximize survival rates.
Erect barriers as far as possible from tree trunks.
Exclude all fill dirt, building material, and traffic from under tree branch spread.
Pruning roots and/or canopy prior to construction may be beneficial.
Aerate the soil to lessen compaction.
Fertilization may help.
Spread mulch 2 or 3 inches deep over as large an area as possible.
Water thoroughly whenever drought occurs.

Avoid filling most cavities and never use rigid or abrasive fillers such as concrete.

Painting pruning cuts generally is not recommended because pruning paints and wound dressings do not prevent insect infestations or diseases.
Some paints may be harmful to the tree, or if applied too heavily may trap moisture and encourage decay.
Proper wound closure is linked to a tree’s genetics, it’s vigor, and the precision of the pruning cut.

Crown reduction, if done correctly, is possible with most trees.
A tree owner should realize, however, that the tree is going to grow back very rapidly, and removal may be a better alternative, such as when a large tree is growing under utility lines.
Crown reduction:
- * requires properly made pruning cuts;
- * is usually a last resort to tree removal;
- * is best done in late winter;
- * if it is to be done repeatedly, it should be started early in the tree’s life.

NO!
Topping also called “hat-racking” or “rounding over”, is an extremely serious injury for a tree, from which it may never fully recover.
The trees height is reduced without regard for properly made pruning cuts or natural growth patterns.
Generally, strong healthy trees do not need to be made smaller.
Topping stimulates growth that is weakly attached to decayed wood, and the tree is not as safe as it was prior to being topped.

A top priority of pruning in urban forests is to remove weak or dead wood that poses a safety hazard to people or property.
Pruning may invigorate trees by removing dead, weak, or damaged branches that can harbor destructive insects or fungi.
Trees need pruning when branches interfere with houses, people, other plants, or utility lines.
Trees are pruned to enhance appearance, to control growth, or to open a view.

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